BLACK & VEATCH
affect millions of users and cost millions in revenue. Reliability, Availability and Maintainability( RAM) analysis provides data driven quantitative assessment of whether designs can actually achieve these targets.
“ We’ re modelling the systems all the way down to the server racks,” Kyle says.“ So everything from where the electrons are generated all the way to where it’ s being consumed at the chip level.”
Campus infrastructure integration complicates reliability modelling because behind-the-meter generation, substations, water treatment systems and telecommunications must all coordinate to achieve overall availability targets. Equipment failures that might have minimal impact in traditional facilities can cascade through integrated systems to affect overall performance.
The scale of modern facilities amplifies acoustic concerns even when individual equipment units meet acceptable standards. Andrew describes the cumulative effect:“ It’ s not just the size of the individual units, but it’ s the quantity of units that really drives a lot of the noise concerns to these sites.” Hundreds of cooling units can combine to create noise levels that exceed regulatory limits despite individual compliance, requiring system-level analysis rather than component-level evaluation.
The consequences of skipping acoustic analysis can be sobering, Andrew warns of an operational data centre which was acoustically modelled post-construction due to noise complaints and ultimately“ had to replace hundreds of roof-mounted HVAC units with new units.”
WORLD’ S FIRST ZERO-WATER CONSUMPTION DATA CENTRE
Nautilus Data Technologies took an entirely different approach to the water challenge by building their data centre on a barge. The 7-megawatt facility at the Port of Stockton uses patented TRUE™ technology that recirculates water from the San Joaquin River as a heat sink, eliminating water consumption entirely. Black & Veatch’ s commissioning oversight verified that during testing at 1.45MW load, room temperature remained consistent at 73 degrees Fahrenheit even during generator backup operation. Rob Pfleging, President of Nautilus Data Technologies, explains:“ Commissioning was the final step in bringing our vision of delivering an energy and costefficient data centre to the market. It was important for us to know our equipment functions as intended.”
“ Apart from the cost to buy those new units as well as install, I don’ t even want to think about the operational downtime impacts of incorporating that on a live data centre project,” he says.
The integration of these analysis tools enables optimisation across competing objectives – energy efficiency, reliability, environmental compliance and capital cost.
“ Making good engineering decisions early in the concept design and the detailed design,” Kyle emphasises.
70 August 2025